The Kirkus Prize is one of the richest literary awards in the world, with a prize of $50,000 bestowed annually to authors of fiction, nonfiction and young readers’ literature. It was created to celebrate the 81 years of discerning, thoughtful criticism Kirkus Reviews has contributed to both the publishing industry and readers at large. Books that earned the Kirkus Star with publication dates between November 1, 2014, and October 31, 2015 (see FAQ for exceptions), are automatically nominated for the 2015 Kirkus Prize, and the winners will be selected on October 15, 2015, by an esteemed panel composed of nationally respected writers and highly regarded booksellers, librarians and Kirkus critics.

KIRKUS REVIEW

Pelletier’s lovely and carefree story, supplied with Krenina’s lovely, iridescent art, tells of the coming of spring, that special moment when the air imparts a note of change. Here, two odd fellows named Wilbur and Wiley signal it to Maddy and her father, who are on the way to the garden store. The two gents are driving a jade-green jalopy, with the legend “Sixteen Miles to Spring” painted on the door. They explain to Maddy and her dad that they are making their way north from the Deep South, just that many miles a day. The first hint of something unusual about them comes when Wiley releases a hatful of butterflies into the countryside. He holds up a finger and cocks his head: “Here she comes.” “Right on time,” replies Wilbur, and a soft wind ushers in a spring rain. The men bring out a sack and all four toss its seeds and sparkles and dirt into the now-blustery rain, and spring blooms forth in a grand entrance. Wiley and Wilbur hop back in their truck and push on, inviting Maddy to find them again—she knows how far they’ll be. Richly imaginative, with the harbingers of spring quirky enough, yet equally recognizable, to impart a sense of the magic in store for all of us. (Picture book. 6-9)

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